Somewhat different than what was to follow later. There are no Circles, no Resources, no Duel of Wits, etc.

From the back of the first book:

"Burning Wheel is a game that stands apart from the rest. Its solid, smooth system addresses many of the failures common to roleplaying games, like movement and time. The rules follow commons sense and logic, the dice are truly representative of characters' skills and their impact on the game world, and every action has its consequences.

"This system was developed by gamers, for gamers — lovingly hand-crafted and built over seven years of playtesting."